Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing systems, gateway apparatuses, server apparatuses, gateway apparatus control methods, server apparatus control methods, gateway apparatus control programs, and server apparatus control programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing system in which an image processing apparatus can execute a job based on job data transmitted from a server apparatus by HTTP, a gateway apparatus, the server apparatus, a method of controlling the gateway apparatus, a method of controlling the server apparatus, a program for controlling the gateway apparatus, and a program for controlling the server apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Instead of server software that is operated by a server so as to reduce the server introduction/management costs in a LAN (Local Area Network), so-called cloud applications are now widely spread. When executed with the use of a so-called cloud server connected to the Internet, a cloud application can provide various kinds of services to a user.
In some cloud system that provides a cloud application in a usable form, the cloud application provides various kinds of services while communicating with devices such as MFPs (Multi-Function Peripherals) or printers that are operated in a LAN in each corporation. In an image forming system using such a cloud system, communication from the cloud application to a device is conducted. This communication is to access an MFP or the like in an intranet from the Internet. Therefore, due to the function of a so-called firewall normally located on a boundary between the Internet and an intranet, communication cannot be conducted in some cases. In an environment where private IP addresses are allocated to MFPs, for example, the IP address of an MFP cannot be designated from the cloud application side, and communication might not be possible. In view of this, a gateway apparatus that relays communication between an apparatus on the Internet side and a device in a LAN is used.
A gateway apparatus is constantly connected to a management server that can be connected thereto via the Internet, and generates an HTTP tunnel with an apparatus such as a cloud server on the Internet side based on a result of communication with the management server, for example, so that relayed communication between the apparatus on the Internet side and an image processing apparatus in a LAN can be established.
JP 2012-133728 A discloses the configuration of a printing system in which, in accordance with a printing instruction from a portable terminal, an information processing apparatus in a LAN converts print target data into a printer language that can be interpreted by an image forming apparatus in the same LAN. In this printing system, if there is an information processing apparatus having a printer language conversion function, the printing management server in the LAN transmits the address of the information processing apparatus to the portable terminal.
JP 2008-181193 A discloses an information management system in which an image forming apparatus is remotely managed by a management server. In this information management system, even when two or more instructions are issued, the management server generates a combined instruction from the two or more instructions, and transmits the combined instruction to the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a relaying operation to be performed by a conventional gateway apparatus.
In the example case shown in FIG. 9, print data 84 is transmitted from a cloud server 88 to an MFP 89 via a gateway apparatus 81.
Specifically, in step S281, the cloud server 88 transmits HTTP data 82 including the print data 84 to the gateway apparatus 81 through an HTTP tunnel. The HTTP data 82 includes an HTTP header 82a and an HTTP body 82b, and the print data 84 is included in the HTTP body 82b, for example.
After the HTTP data 82 is transmitted, the gateway apparatus 1 in step S282 analyzes the HTTP data 82, and transmits the print data 84 included in the HTTP data 82 to the MFP 89. The MFP 89 performs printing based on the print data 84. As described above, as the gateway apparatus 1 relays the data transmitted from the cloud server 88 to the MFP 89, the MFP 89 can perform printing. In this case, the print data 84 may be transmitted as the HTTP body 82b to the MFP 89.
Where an image forming apparatus in a LAN performs printing from a cloud application, there is a demand for a print log server that is provided in the LAN or the like and records a print log. As the images that have been formed by the image forming apparatus in the LAN are recorded as a print log into the print log server, the management operation can be readily performed later on the image forming system.
In a case where a print log server records a print log, a cloud application causes an information forming apparatus to perform a print log transfer function by adding a print log transfer request to the print job information to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus, for example. However, if the image forming apparatus that performs printing is not capable of performing the print log transfer function, information is not transmitted to the print log server, and therefore, appropriate print log recording is not performed.
So as to solve such a problem, the function information about each image forming apparatus may be stored into the cloud server. A user manually registers the function information in the cloud server, or the cloud server requests the function information from each image forming apparatus and receives the function information in reply. In this manner, the function information can be stored into the cloud server. The cloud server checks the function information stored therein. If the target image forming apparatus does not have the print log transfer function, the cloud server can notify the terminal that has issued the printing instruction of the error, or present a substitute image forming apparatus having the print log transfer function.
In such a system in which the cloud server holds the function information about each image forming apparatus, however, the amount of information being handled by the cloud server is enormous, as the cloud server manages the function information about the image forming apparatuses from all over the world. Therefore, the costs for the construction and maintenance of the cloud server are increased.
In other cases, the function information about the image forming apparatuses in a LAN may be held by a gateway apparatus that is provided in the same LAN. In this case, a user manually registers the function information in the gateway apparatus, or the gateway apparatus requests the function information from each image forming apparatus and receives the function information in reply. In this manner, the function information about each information apparatus can be stored into the gateway apparatus. If the target image forming apparatus does not have the print log transfer function, the gateway apparatus can notify the cloud server or the management server of the error so that the terminal that has issued the printing instruction will be notified of the error, or present a substitute image forming apparatus having the print log transfer function. Alternatively, the gateway apparatus may perform the print log transfer function.
However, such a system in which a gateway apparatus holds the function information has the following problem. The gateway apparatus performs a relaying operation by transmitting data transmitted from the cloud application to an image forming apparatus as it is. Since the information in a print job is not interpreted by the gateway apparatus, the gateway apparatus cannot determine whether the print job requests print log transfer.